Coupling for collar-straps and neck-yokes.



' G. L. WALBERG.

GOUPLING FOE COLLAR STRAPS AND NECK YOKES.

APPLICATION FILED mu. 6, 1912.

1,066,169,- Patented July 1, 1913.

naw Wow 6 L, wapzae COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO4, WASHINGTON, u. c

UNITE STATS;

COUPLING FOR COLLAR-STRAPS AND NECK-YOKES.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, GUSTAF L. WALBERG, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Cokato, in the county of Wright and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Collar-Straps and Neck-Yokes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to couplings for collar straps and neck yokes, and has for its object to provide a coupling of simple and durable structure which may be easily and quickly applied to the neck yoke and collar strap and which consists of members adapted to slidably engage each other when in certain relation and which are restrained against relative sliding movement when in other relations. At the same time when the members of the coupling are assembled they are free to rotate with relation to each other. One of the said members is applied to the end of the neck yoke and the other member is applied to the collar strap of harness. By this arrangement the collar strap may remain permanently with the harness, while the members of the coupling may be disconnected from each other so that the same care may be taken of the collar strap as the remainder of the harness. It isusually the practice to retain the neck yoke in the vicinity of the vehicle to which it isto be applied, and in those devices where the collar straps follow or remain with the neck yoke they are usually neglected and do not receive the same care as the harness, and consequently they deteriorate and soon become useless.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improvethis class of devices so as to increasetheir utility, durability and efiiciency.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which: v

Figure 1 is a plan view of a neck yoke and collar straps with the coupling applied; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the coupling; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the coupling with the parts separated; Fig. a is a transverse sectional view of the coupling. I

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 6, 1912.

Patented July 1, 1913.

Serial No. 669,811.

is indicated at l. The coupling between the neck yoke 1 and thecollar strap 3 consists of a hollow member 5 which is fixed to the end of the neck yoke 1 by means of rivets or other securing devices. The member 5 receives the end of the neck yoke 1' in the usual manner and the said member is provided at its inner end with an annular flange 6. The member 5 tapers or diminishes in diameter from its inner end toward its outer end and at its outer end portion and at one side only the said member 5 is provided with an outstanding lug 7. The coupling also includes a member 8 which is located within the return bend of the collar strap 3. The member 8 is in the form of a sleeve and its diameter gradually diminishes from its inner end toward its outer end. The member 8 is provided at its ends with annular flanges 9 which in turn are provided with inwardly disposed lugs 10. The lugs 10 are spaced from the periphery of the body portion of the member 8. The lugs 10 are arranged so that two of them are diametrically opposite each other, while a third is at a point midway between the said lugs which are diametrically opposite each other.

The collar strap 3 passes through the space between the lugs 10 and the body portion of the member 8 and fits snugly between the flanges 9 at the opposite ends of the said member. The member 8 is provided with a slot 11 which extends the full length of the'intermediate or body portion of the said member 8 but the ends of the said slot are abridged by the flanges 9, for the reason that the said flanges are continuous. The slot 11 is located approximately diametrically opposite the lugs 10 which are located midway between the diametrically positioned lugs 10 upon the flanges of the member 8. The lug 7 carried by the member 5 extends approximately in the same general direction as the eye 2 carried by the neck yoke 1. Therefore .when the eye 2 is in position upon the pole of the vehicle it is downwardly and forwardly disposed, as is also the lug 7 upon themember 5. 'VVhen the collar 4 is upon the neck of the animal the collar strap 3 is downwardly and forwardly disposed and inasmuch as the slot 11 is between the opposite folds of the collar strap 3 the said slot is disposed behind the neck yoke 1 and approximately diametrically opposite the lug 7 of the member 5. The member 8 is free to rotate upon the member 5 between the inner end of the lug 7 and the face of the flange 6, but the member 8 cannot move longitudinally with relation to the member 5 until the end of the slot 11 is brought into register with the inner end of the lug 7. lVhen this is done the member 8 may be readily slipped longitudinally from off of the member 5 as the lug 7 is free to pass through the slot 11 of the member 8. When the member 8 is in position upon the member 5 it snugly receives the same, but inasmuch as the members 5 and S taper as above described the larger end of the member 8 is presented to the smaller end of the member 5 when the parts are being assembled, and therefore suficient clearance or room is provided to enable the parts to be easily and quickly connected with each other. By so assembling the parts and when the harness is applied to the draft animals and the neck yoke to the pole of a vehicle, it will be seen that it is necessary for the member 8 to make one half of a revolution before its slot 11 can come into register with the lug 7 This cannot happen under ordinary circumstances of driving and therefore it is practically impossible for the parts to become disconnected when in use. hen the animals are to be unhitched the eye 2 of the neck yoke l is removed from the pole and the said neck yoke is given ahalf turn which brings the lug 7 into register with the end of the slot 11 in the member 8. Then the said member may be readily slipped from off of the member 5 as above described and the neck yoke 1 is disconnected from the collar strap 3. The collar strap 3 remains with the collar 4 and consequently is handy and may receive the same attention as the remainder of the harness. To assemble the parts the operation above described is reversed.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a neck yoke coupling in which one member is provided with a lug and another member is provided with a groove or opening through which the lug may pass, the members having relative movement whereby, af-

ter the lug has passed through said opening, it may be turned out of alinement therewith so as to hold the members of the coupling in engagement. I, therefore, make no broad claim to such a device, but I be lieve the construction devised by me is an advance in the art. In my device, the collar strap is held close to the sleeve member of the coupling throughout nearly the entire periphery of the sleeve and the means provided for the passage of the locking lug doesnot put any bending, breaking, or cut-- ting strain upon the collar strap.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A neck yoke fastening comprising a tapered sleeve having its opposite ends formed with laterally extending continuous circumferential flanges, there being a longitudinally disposed slot formed in the sleeve and opening through said flanges, equally spaced keeper lugs projecting inwardly from the flanges of the sleeve, said-keeper lugs having their adjacent ends abutting and spaced from the exterior of the sleeve, .and a correspondingly tapered thimble rigidly secured to the end of the neck yoke and having a lug adapted to enter the slot in the thimble and provided with aflange spaced from the lug and adapted to bear against the adjacent flange on the sleeve when the thimble is inserted in said sleeve and given a partial rotation.

2. A neck yoke fastening comprising a tapered sleeve having a smooth uninterrupted bore and provided with terminal continuous circumferential flanges, there being a longitudinal slot formed inthe sleeve and opening through said flanges, half keeper lugs formed integral with the flanges and having their free ends abutting and spaced inwardly from the exterior of the sleeve in combination with a thimble having a lug formed thereon adapted to enter the slot in the sleeve and bear against the exterior thereof, the exterior wall of the sleeve between the flanges and keeper lugs being smooth and unobstructed.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAF L. WALBERG. [L. s.]

IVitnesses C. R. PETERSON, I. E. OSTERBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

